Boulder County · Uninsured and underinsured motorists
Boulder Uninsured and underinsured motorists Lawyers
Boulder uninsured and underinsured motorist lawyers. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover for you.
How Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims Work
McCormick & Murphy are Boulder uninsured motorist accident lawyers for people hurt in Boulder. We get the Boulder Police Department and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office report, the Boulder Community Health Foothills Hospital records, and file in Boulder County Justice Center.
A UM/UIM claim is filed against your own auto insurance carrier, not the at-fault driver. But insurance company is still deciding whether to pay you fairly is a different matter from who caused the wreck. We still have to prove the other driver was at fault for the collision and establish the full value of your injuries, lost income, and other losses, just as we would in a claim against a liability carrier.
Because your own insurer is now the party paying the claim, it has an incentive to minimize what it pays, even though you have been a paying customer. These claims often involve close scrutiny of medical records, prior injuries, and the circumstances of the crash. We handle the back-and-forth with the adjuster and push back when the carrier undervalues the claim.
UM/UIM cases also involve policy-specific issues: which policies apply, how much coverage exists, whether other policies stack, and what offsets apply for payments already received from the at-fault driver's limited coverage. We review your policy and any applicable household or umbrella policies to identify every source of available coverage.
What We Use to Prove Fault and Damages
To win a UM/UIM claim, we build the case as though we were pursuing the at-fault driver directly. That means collecting the police report, photos of the scene and vehicle damage, witness statements, and any available video from the area. We also gather your complete medical records and bills to document the injuries caused by the crash and connect them to ongoing treatment and any wage loss.
We review your policy declarations and any other policies that may apply, give the required notice to your carrier, and track every offset owed for payments already made under the other driver's liability coverage. We also prepare a demand package that lays out fault, damages, and policy limits so the carrier has no excuse to lowball the claim.
- Get the police report number from the responding agency
- Photograph vehicle damage, the scene, and any visible injuries
- Get contact information for witnesses before they leave
- Keep all medical records, bills, and proof of missed work
- Locate your auto policy and any other policies that might apply
Handling UM/UIM Claims in Boulder
We represent Boulder residents injured by uninsured and underinsured drivers on roads like U.S. Highway 36, Foothills Parkway, Arapahoe Avenue, and Broadway, as well as drivers passing through from Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Longmont, and Broomfield. Crash reports often come from Boulder Police Department or Boulder County Sheriff's Office, and we request these records as part of building your claim.
When injuries require treatment at Boulder Community Health Foothills Hospital, we obtain those records to document the connection between the crash and your medical care. If a UM/UIM claim proceeds to litigation, it is typically filed in the Boulder County Justice Center, and we prepare each case with that venue in mind from the start.
Losses We Pursue in UM/UIM Claims
- Medical expenses, past and anticipated future treatment
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Out-of-pocket costs related to the injury
- Loss of enjoyment of life or household services, where applicable
What clients say about McCormick & Murphy
Real outcomes and reviews. Check Google reviews for the office that serves Boulder — and read client testimonials.
After I was hit by a drunk driver with no insurance, my own insurer refused UM benefits. McCormick & Murphy sued for uninsured motorist benefits and bad faith. A jury awarded me over $900,000.
C. O., Denver · UM / bad-faith verdict
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its facts, coverage, venue, and evidence.
Boulder Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyers FAQ
Do I file this claim against the other driver or my own insurer?
UM/UIM claims are filed against your own insurance company, even though the crash was caused by another driver. Your insurer stands in the shoes of the at-fault driver's coverage, but it is still your policy and your contractual relationship that governs the claim.
Do I still have to prove the other driver was at fault?
Yes. Even though you are making a claim under your own policy, you must still establish that the other driver caused the crash and prove the value of your damages. Your insurer will evaluate fault and damages much like a liability carrier would.
What if the at-fault driver had some insurance, just not enough?
That is an underinsured motorist, or UIM, situation. We pursue the at-fault driver's available liability coverage first, then turn to your UIM coverage to make up the difference, accounting for any offsets required under your policy.
Will my insurance rates go up if I file a UM/UIM claim?
We are not in a position to make guarantees about how your insurer handles rate decisions. What we can do is make sure you understand the coverage you paid for and help you pursue the compensation that policy is meant to provide.
What if I have more than one applicable insurance policy?
Some households have multiple auto policies or umbrella coverage that may apply to a single crash. We review all available policies to identify every potential source of coverage for your claim.
Discuss a Boulder crash
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.